Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Attraction, Worship, Faith

When I’m learning something or needing to accomplish
something through a sequential procedure that I’m not familiar with then I’m
comfortable with formulas.I remember my
mother would be asked to bake a cake for the women’s group at her church.She always agreed because she would say the
baked cakes others would bring were never as good.Other women would ask her why her cakes were
so much better.She would unashamedly
say that she would follow the recipe. She would tell us at home, “How hard can
it be?”

I’ve learned in my relationship with God that in learning
things as a disciple a recipe or formula may work when I was young in the
faith, then I’d learn latter the relationship and ongoing encounters with God
were what aided my life in God more than the procedures and recipes.

In reading Luke 7: 36-50, the story of a sinful woman
washing Jesus’ feet with her tears and pouring perfume on them afterward in a
Pharisees’ home doesn’t easily fit into a sequential procedure of repentance
and salvation.I’d just assume not
discuss any formula for salvation.Something is going on here.

Jesus is invited to Simon the Pharisee’s house for
dinner.A woman who lived sinfully
learned Jesus was there.She gets into
the house during dinner.She’s not
merely curious.Something else is at
work here.She washes and refreshes
Jesus’ feet like a servant would.Something else is going on here.Tears are what cleanse his feet and the perfume is an act of worship.

In this house there is attraction and there’s worship.Both Simon the Pharisee and the woman are
attracted to Jesus.Simon is
theologically and socially curious.The
woman is not romantically attracted, but something is going on here.Again, you can’t put her emotions and actions
into some sort of formulaic recipe of what a sinner does to get saved.It should be enough to say that something is
going on here.

In Luke 17: 11-19 ten people afflicted with leprosy cry out
to Jesus for mercy.He tells them to go
show themselves to the priest.They are
healed on the way.One of them returns
to Jesus and worships him.Something has
happened.Jesus then tells the guy who
returned, “Your faith has made you well.”

These two stories show us that when you’re attracted to
Jesus, something’s going to happen.The
woman is attracted to Jesus. She brings perfume to pour on him.In the encounter she cries enough to wash his
feet.Those afflicted, you can say are
attracted to him, cry out to him.In
both stories, these folks want Jesus to impact their lives.They knew if they got to Jesus something
would happen.If you get to him, you
won’t be the same.When we’re attracted
to him, something’s going to happen.

In these two stories there is attraction, worship &
faith.Simon the Pharisee is attracted
to Jesus, but he wasn’t aware that there would be an opportunity for an
encounter that would change everything like the woman knew there would be.He was attracted, but there was no faith or
worship on his part.He was religiously
correct by being theologically curious, but he “loved little” because he felt
he had little to be forgiven for.The
woman loved Jesus much because in the encounter without any words being
exchanged she was forgiven much.After
her expressions of worship toward Jesus, he declares she’s forgiven and that it
was her faith that saved her much like he said to the man who was healed that
returned to worship him.

Be attentive to when and where and how you’re attracted to
Jesus because you’re being set up for an encounter that could change everything
for you.Simon the Pharisee missed his
opportunity to encounter the very gracious heart of the savior because he
wanted to keep his dignity and respectability and religious standing.

Even now, you’re attracted to Jesus and what only he can do
for you.Surrender yourself to worship
and believe and something beyond what you believe is possible is about
overwhelm you.Your faith has saved you.